The Mason Spirit

• From the President
• From the Alumni President
• From Our Readers

From the President

Sometimes a Great Typo

About 13 years ago, I was getting ready to give a talk on activities at Mason. I was meeting with then-vice president of university relations Helen Ackerman, MA English ’86, and we were talking about what universities do. What we came up with was the old faithful, that is, teaching, research, and service, and we both said it at the same time: “Gosh, that’s worn out.” But if it is worn out, then what is the business of the university? In particular, what is the purpose of Mason? So we took each of the three by itself.

Teaching. The truth is we are not in the teaching business; we are in the learning business. And learning should occur in traditional and nontraditional ways—not just for our students, but for anyone who touches the university. Part of the learning is, of course, going to be a direct result of teaching, but this learning also applies to clubs, organizations, and even Concert Hall events. By the nature of our students’ ages and our geography, our students probably learn as much from each other as they do in the classroom.

Research. Instead of just research, we decided that research in partnership is what distinguishes Mason. Yes, we have outstanding faculty who work by themselves, but in my view, many of our successes have come from faculty working in teams with others from inside and outside the university. I am thinking of our defense contractors, NASA, the Smithsonian Institution, and Inova Health System, among many others.

Service. Now this category really sounded bland, so we decided to replace it with “community driven.” Now, the first time I used the PowerPoint presentation to discuss this new view of our mission, there was a typo: the slide said “community driver.” This slip was brilliant—we are community driven and a community driver. Whoever was behind that keystroke gave us something we almost missed ourselves. We are driven by the community we are in, and we drive the community.

Because of our youth, the silos and the walls that normally exist between the different disciplines and the different aspects of the university are significantly fewer at Mason. For a long time, we didn’t have the track record or the resources, so if we really wanted to do something, we had to do it with somebody else. As a result, a porous membrane exists between Mason units and between the outside world and us.

The new Engineering Building is a good example of this synergy. A wing of the building is corporate lease space. There will be people walking its hallways who are not Mason employees, people with whom our faculty and students will work. Many universities build science and engineering buildings and research parks. What we did here was build an engineering building with a research park.

Over the next year, we are opening a number of like facilities. We are opening atriums for receptions and conferences. Now we have people talking about innovative uses of our facilities that go way beyond where we have been before. Sometimes I don’t know where the university ends and the outside begins. But I do know a lot of university presidents who would trade places with me in a heartbeat.

Alan G. Merten
President, George Mason University

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From the Alumni President

October 2-4 was our first ever Alumni Weekend at George Mason University. With your help and participation, we had an incredibly successful and fun weekend. I know many of you were amazed at the enormous growth that has occurred on the Fairfax campus since your last visit and at the numerous construction projects still underway. I heard over and over again how impressive the campus has become and how proud alumni are to be connected to George Mason.

Beyond seeing the awe on the faces of alumni, I enjoyed meeting with you and witnessing the interaction among alumni, spouses, families, faculty, staff, and students throughout the weekend. Mason camaraderie was evident everywhere and the fun of the weekend was found both in reconnecting with each other and with Mason. The variety of events (social, intellectual, family oriented, artistic, athletic, and recreational) meant there was something for everyone and plenty of opportunities to catch up and revel in being back at Mason.

As the events of the weekend came to a close, I was encouraged by the large numbers of alumni wanting to know how to become more involved with their alma mater. George Mason is a vibrant community with opportunities for involvement at all levels. The basic level of involvement I ask of all Mason alumni is to constantly serve as ambassadors of George Mason. Wear your Mason gear with pride, talk about the university and its accomplishments with friends, colleagues, and neighbors, and stay up to date with Mason news. The easiest way to do that is with – the Mason Spirit Magazine. Share it with people you know and make sure your e-mail is up to date in the Office of Alumni Affairs so you receive the MasonWire monthly e-newsletter.

If you want to be active at the university, visit alumni.gmu.edu/volun and sign up for our volunteer listserv to be notified of opportunities to interact with students and share your own life experience. We call on volunteers to help out at basketball games, serve on professional panels, instruct certain classes, host special events, mentor students, and help us reach out to other alumni.

As George Mason grows, our alumni support for the university is vital. I often talk about the need for alumni to share their time, treasure, and talents with Mason. If you can share one or all of these things with George Mason, you will have a real impact on the future and we will continue to be one of the most innovative, respected, and watched universities in the country.

The Alumni Association always has a good time and having such strong connections to a worldclass university and cultural center is always rewarding. Come join the fun!

Ted Arnn
President, George Mason University Alumni Associatio
BS Law Enforcement ’93

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From Our Readers

Checking In

➤I was a nurse and worked a bit when we moved to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I’m in the older-than-65 age group and still keep my license active. I have been thinking about taking a refresher [course]. The nurses of today have it so much easier than we did. I have two beautiful grandchildren, and two of my sons still live in Northern Virginia. When we come back to Northern Virginia, New on spirit.gmu.edu I never miss a chance to see Mason.
Thanks for the memories.
Luci Borris, RN , BSN ’83

Its a Deal

➤The spring 2009 issue of Mason Spirit is fantastic— the best issue ever. The coverage of research and scholarship is splendid. If Roger [Stough]’s vision of $250 million in sponsored research by 2014 is realized, I’ll buy him a steak dinner at the top place in Northern Virginia, and I’ll double my annual contribution to the foundation. Keep up the good work!
Chris Hill
Vice Provost for Research, 1997–2005

Editor's Response: George Mason University surpassed $100 million in sponsored research expenditures for fiscal year 2009, which ended June 30. This marks a 25 percent growth compared with 2008 and a 45 percent increase compared with 2007. Stay tuned, Dr. Hill!

Chock Full of Meaning

➤This is the first time I’ve read an issue of Mason Spirit that I felt was chock full of meaningful, interesting, and relevant information about Mason’s research programs. It’s also the first time since I graduated from my master’s program in 1994 that I’ve felt inspired to donate to the school. Thanks for a fantastic issue.
Veronica Perry,
MA International Transactions ’94

Letters to the editor are welcomed.
Send correspondence to Colleen
Kearney Rich, Managing Editor,
Mason Spirit, 4400 University
Drive, MS2F7
Fairfax, Virginia 22030

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